stevens



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

H. B. STEVENS.

EVAPORATOR.

No. 268,310. Patented Nov. Z8, 1882.

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in assen"- N. PETERS, Phulouthagraphn. wnxhugtan, nc.

- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY B. STEVENS, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GEORGE L. SQUIER, OFSAME PLAGE.

EVAPO RATO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 268,310, dated November28, 1882.

\ Application filed september 29, 188e. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HENRY B. STEVENS, f thecity ot' Buffa-lo, in the county of Erie and State ot' New York, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Evaporators,`of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in evaporators forsaceharine juices and other liquids, and has for its object to producero an evaporator whichis durable and not liable to leak, which is easilyand quickly skimmed, which defecates thoroughly, and evaporates rapidlywithout scorching the sirup. My invention consists, to that end, of theconstructions which are hereinafter fully described, and pointed out inthe claims.

In the accompanying drawings, consisting of two sheets, Figure 1 is aperspective view of an evaporator provided with myimprovements.

. zo 2 is a longitudinal section, and Fig. 3 a

`top plan view, thereof. Fig. 4 is a cross-sec y extending from end toend of the pan, a contion, on anenlarged scale, in line .fc fr, Fig. 3,looking toward the right. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal vertical section ofthe central portion ofthe pan. Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation of oneofthe round corners of the pan. Fig. 7is a cross-section of theevaporating'pan in line y y, Fig. 3, looking toward the left.Likeletters of reference refer to like parts 3o in the several figures.

The evaporating-pan is composed of two separate portions securedtogether side by side, each consisting' of metallic end plates, A A',made preferablyof cast-iron, and an outer wall,

A2, inner wall, A3, and a bottom, A4, all com'- posed in each portion ofthe pan ot' a single plate of sheet metal, preferably iron or copper,bent to the proper form, as clearly shown in Fig. 4. The two portions ofthe pan are se- 4o cured together by means of rivets or bolts passingthrough their contiguous inner walls, A3. rlhe outer walls, A2, are madeflaring to prevent boiling over and facilitate skimming, and their outeredges are preferably stiffened by angle-irons secured t0 the same. Theinner walls, A3, constitute a longitudinal partition extending from endto end of the evaporator, which stilens the bottom of the pan andprevents it from warping, and which divides 5o the pan into twolongitudinal compartments. The end plates, A A', are constructed witha-nges, to which the plate constituting the body of each portion of thepan is riveted, and the plates A A themselves are secured together nearthe top by bolts a passing th rough 5 5 lugs a', formed on said plates.

b represents a tubular passage cast with each end plate A, and openingat one end on the inner side of the plate and at the other end on theoutside of the plate, the outer opening be- 6o ing on the inner edge ofthe plate and in line` with the other, so that both openings willregister or coincide when the two portions of the pan are securedtogether, and thus establish a conduit or passage on the outer sides ofthe plates A from one longitudinal compartment of the pan to the other.b is a bolt which extends through both parts b of the passage. andsecures the plates A together near the bottom.

c is a transverse partition formed in the sec- 7o ond compartment ot'the pan, which latter is composed of the defecating-compartment D,

centrating-apartment, E, extending from the end wall A to the partitionc, and a inishing- 75 compartment, F, extending from the partition c tothe end wall A.

g is a movable gate, which is arranged at the mouth of the passage b inthe compartment D, and whereby said passage can be opened and 8o closedat desire.

' l1l represents a similar gate, arranged to open and close an opening,h', formed in the partition c. The openings to which these gates areapplied are provided with a raised rim or ange, fi, which surrounds theopening, and is planed ofi', and the gatesare provided with plane blocks7c, which ft snugly against the plane rims t', so as to form awater-tightjoint. The blocks 7c are attached to thelower ends of 9opivoted levers, whereby they can be moved, so as to open or close therespective openings to which they are applied. These gates are verysimple in construction and do not leak, and are easily manipulated. 9 5

The evaporating-pan is in this manner constructed wholly ot' metal, withno joints between the bottom and sides, and water-tight `joints at theends and between the compartments, in which latter the` three operationsot' roo defecating, evaporating, and finishing can be carried onseparately, andwhich can be easily whence it can be easily removed. Inorder to obtain this result, the partition separating theevaporating-compartment E from the defecating-compartment D is cut down,as shown at l, to a depth which will permit the scum and other lightimpurities which rise to the surface in the evaporating-compartment E toflow over into the defecating-compartment, in

t which they are carried by the surface current to the opposite orcoolest end of the defecating-compartment. The low portion, l, of thecentral partition is preferably located near the end, and is preferablyabout twelve to lifteen inches long and three to four inches below thetop of the partition. In order to bring the juice speedily to theboiling-point, the front portion of the evaporating-compartment E iscovered by a plate, M, which may, if desired, cover the entirecompartment, and the front portion of tbe defecating-compartment issimilarly covered by a plate, N, which extends backward about the samedistance as the plate M. These plates confine the steam and reiiect theheat, and accelerate the ebullition, whereby the impurities are thrownto the surface and carried off before they area gain boiled into thejuice, and whereby the inversion of the cane-sugar into grape-sugar,which increases with the length of time the sugar is eX- posed to theheat, is to a large extent avoided.

The covers M and N are preferably hinged to the longitudinal partitionA3, so that they can be readily raised, when required,for regulating thecirculation or cleaning of the pan. To prevent the scum from gatheringin the corners, they may be provided with curved metallic plates it, asrepresented in Figs. 3 and 7,

or with wooden blocks having concave faces.

O represents the furnace under the evaporator, and P is a longitudinalpartition arranged centrally under the rear portion of the pan, andseparating the fiuep under the defecating-compartment D from the fine 19under the iinishing-compartment.

q is the chimney with which both dues commnnicate, and each flue isprovided with a damper, q q2, whereby the heat can be directed more orless under one or the other compartment, as may be necessary.

The juice to be evaporated is introduced at the rear end of thecompartment D, either in a continuous stream or intermittently. -Theheat is so graduated under the compartment D that. this is the coolestpart of the pan; but when the heat should be toolow in starting theevaporator a removable partition may be placed transversely in thecompartment D, over the damper under the compartment, to confine the rawjuice until properly defecated; but when the pan is working properly nosuch partition is necessary. In this compartment the juice is slowlybrought to the boiling-point, and the scum thrown np and carried by thesurface current back to the rear end of the compartment, whence it isremoved by a skimmer or by a scum-trough extending into thecornpartment. As the juice becomes clarified and heated it passesforward under the cover N and over the grates, where the heat isstrongest, and here it boils. The boilingjuice then passes through thetube b into the compartment E, where it boils violently. The steamgenerated here is confined by the cover M and compelled to pass outthrough the opening formed by the low portion, l, of the partition. Thisproduces a strong surface current from the compartment E into thecompartment D, whereby all the scum is carried from the compartment Einto the compartment D. By closing the gate g entirely or partially thecirculation can be stopped or regulated, and the whole process iscompletely under the control of the operator. The defecated juice passeson the bottom of the compartment D to the passage b, and

Vthrough the latter into the compartment E,

when the high heat throws to the surface the vimpurities which have notbeen removed before, and the hot current passes near thel surfacebackward to the inlet end of the compartment D. When thejuice issufficiently evaporated for finishing the gate h is opened, whenthejuice passes into the compartment F. At this stage of the processarises the danger of scorching; but the heat is easily controlled andscorching prevented by the dampers in the flues. When the juice has beenfinished it is drawn off through the spout r.

l am aware that heretofore covers have been used on evaporators, andthat round cornerpieces have been used, also that the longitudinalpartition has been reduced in height to permit the overflow of the scumfrom one compartment into the other, and I do not claim either of theseconstructions by itself; but

I claim as my invention- 1. In an evaporator, the combination of adefecating-compartment, D, an evaporating- `compartment, E, ascum-passage, Z, formed in the partition between the two compartments,and a cover, M, applied to the evaporatingcompartment E, substantiallyas set forth.

2. Inan evaporator, the combination of a defecating compartment, D, anevaporatingcompartment, E, a scum-passage, l, formed in the partitionbetween the two compartments, a cover, M, applied to theevaporating-compartmen t, and a cover,N, applied to the defecatingcompartment, substantially as set forth.

3. The end plates, AA,constructed with the divided passage b,substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, with thedefecating-compartment D, of tbeevaporating-compartment E, a passage, b, connecting both compartmentsnear their bottoms, a scum-passage, Z, formed in the top of thepartition between the two com- IOO IIO

IZO

.i A I partments, and a cover, M, applied to theevaporating-compartmentD, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, in an evaporator, of an opening leading from onecompartment into another, a raised ange, t', surrounding said openingandhavingaplane face, and a movable gate provided with a plane' block, k,fitting against the face of the flange i, substantially as set forth.

6. In an evaporator, the combination, with the longitudinal partitionA3, of the coversM and N, hinged to said partition, substantially as setforth.

7. The combination of the compartments D, E, and F, the passage b,connecting the compartments D and E, the passage h', connecting thecompartments E and F, and the gates g and h, applied respectively to thepassages b and h', substantially as set forth.`

8. The combination of the defecating-compartment D, provided with apartial cover, N, the evaporating-compartmentE, provided with cover M,and the finishing-compartment F, substantially as set forth.

9. The combination of' the defecating-compartmeut D, provided with apartial cover, N, theevaporati ng-compartmentE,provided With cover M, abottom passa-ge, b, and a scum-passage, l, connecting said compartments,a tinishing-compartment, F, connected with the Witnesses zevaporating-compartment by a passage, h', and suitable gates whereby thepassages b and It' can be opened and closed, substantially as set forth.l

l0. An evaporator having alongitudinal central partition provided with ascumpassage, l, and haviugthe sides and bottom ofeach compartmentconstructed of a continuous plate of metal, substantially as set forth.

l1. An evaporator composed of two .longitudinal portions, each havingits sides and bottom constructed of a continuous plate of metal andsecured to Elan ged metallic end plates, both portions being securedtogether side by side, and havin ga depressed scum-passage, l, formed intheircontiguous side plates, substantially as set forth.

l2. In an evaporator, the combination of a defecating-compai-tinent, D,an evaporatingcompartment, E, a nishing-compartment, F, a scum-passage,l, and tlues p p', provided with dampers q g2, substantially as setforth.

v13,. The combination, with the det'ecating compartment D andevaporating-compartment E, of the scunrpassage l, covers M and N, and

rounded eorner-pieces n, substantially as set H. B. STEVENS.

JNO. J. BoNNER, CHAs. F. GEYER.

